Apparatus for and method of annealing glassware



Sept. 1

O. vSHACKELFORD APPARATUS FOR AND METHOD 0F ANNEALING GLAsswARE Original Filed April 24, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet l Sept. 20, 1927.

o. SHACKELFORD APPARATUS FOR AND METHOD oF ANNEALING GLAsswARE origihal Filed April 24, 1923 2 shams-sheet'y 2 ev Sie zc/afn? y f [fave/Z fr.'

IIIII'IIIIIIIIIIIIIII Patented Sept.. 2l), 1927.

UNITED' STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ORIE SHACKELFORD, OF FAIRMONT, WEST VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR TO HARTFORD-EM- PIRE COMPANY, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION F DELAWARE.

APPARATUS FOR AND METHOD OF ANNEALING GLASSYV'TARE.

Applicationled April 24, 1923. Serial No. 634,252. Renewed February 16, 1927.

This invention relates to the method of and apparatus for annealing glassware.

The object of the invention is to provide a method and an apparatus for this purpose which will be inexpensive to build, ecos piece of Ware, and all of the piecesin each lateral row, shall be at approximately the same temperature at any instant during the progressive annealinor process.

More nearly compilete uniformity of teinperature in the individual pieces and in the different pieces occupying the same position in the length of the leer, is secured when the ware nearly fills the cross-sectional area of the passageway. AIn order that this approximate iilling of the leer may be maintained with successive lots of ware varying lin size, one of the features of the invention resides in the provision of a leer having means to 'permit adjustmenteof the crosssectional area of the ware passageway in accordance with the size of the ware being made.v

The filling out of the lateral width of the leer passage can be taken care of quite closely bythe. number of pieces stacked in each lateral row. Therefore, the invention is more particularly directed to provisions for changing the vertical height of the leer passage, preferably by adjusting the upper Wall of the passage toward and from the bottom so as to maintain a minimum clearance between the top of the ware and the top wall of the leer.

In order` to prevent the outside pieces of ware from being cooled more rapidly than the inner pieces when the ware is fed through the leer in a plurality of rows, the walls of the leer are made of material having a low heat absorbin and conducting capacity,v and insulation 1s provided to reduce the heat losses of the ware.

Another object of the invention is to provide new and improved means for controllin the temperature of the leer, by inclining it ongitudinally from a horizontal plane and lproviding means for adjusting the an le of inclination whereby the tendency of t e heated atmosphere to rise to the higher end of the leer may be utilized and regulated.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new method of operating a leen whereby the ware may be annealed by its own heat which it carries into the leer, without the necessity of reheating the ware between the'time that it is formed and the time when annealing is completed, or in other'words, without supplying additional heat after the ware leaves the molds. I have found that glassware may be annealed by the heat remaining in it, if transferred quickly into the leer from the mold, or if its initial heat is otherwise prevented from escaping too rapidly from the immediate env /vironment of the ware.

The various features employed to attain these objects and such other objects as may be apparent from the following description, will best be understood by reference to the following specification and the accompanying drawings of one embodiment of the invention, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the leer;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation in section on al plane extending longitudinally of the leer;

Fig. 3 is a partial end eleva-tion in section on an enlarged scale taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail in side elevation, showing particularly the means for, holding the adjustable top of the leer in adjusted position;

Fig. 5 isa detail in perspective of one of the sliding covers which close the open- .ing through which the ware is inserted in the leer; and Fig. 6 is an end elevation in section of a modified form `of tunnel wall construction.

The preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a Hoor 10 (Figs. 2 and 3) connected by angle irons 11 with side Walls height of the ware then being made, (Figs. 2 and 3) One means which may be used for this purpose comprises a rack 16 (Fig. 4), fixed to .the side Wall 12 at each of the four corners of -the leer. Pivotally mounted between the side wall 14 and a bracket 18 at-l tached thereto is a pawl 17 which engages construction which may be employed in leers having an adjustable top wall o r in leers of fixed cross sectional area shown in this figure. In this construction the walls comprise a sheet metal lining 22 and a larger outer casing 23, the space between the lining and the casing being filled with any suitable heat insulating material 24. such, for example, as mineral wool or kieselguhr.

Any suitable mechanism may be provided for advancing the ware through the tunnel, but as illust-rated,l the ware is carried through the leer in pans 26, which are supported by the angle irons 11 (Fig. 3). It' desired, the bottomof the pans may be perforated in any manner and rolls may be provided to support the pans. The angle irons 11 project at both ends of the leer (Fig. 1) so that the pans may be placed on the irons outside of the leer and pushed in, and after passing through the tunnel they emerge outside the tunnel walls, still supported by the other ends of the angle irons. The left, or receiving end of the leer, is provided with a portion of reduced height, as indicated at 27, which with the in-coming pan 26, substantially7 closes that end of the tunnel. A swinging door 28 is provided to maintain the same degree of closure, when the top is adjusted to a higher position than that shown. in Fig. 2.

The ware is placed in one of the pans 26 through an opening 29, (Fig. 1) on the top and front wall of the leer. As each article is placed in the pan, a sliding cover 30 is moved along to cover the deposited ware, and to open the adjacent space for the next piece. After a complete row of ware has been inserted, the projecting pari 26 is pushed in enough to bring an empty part of the pan below the opening 29 to receive another row. f

The delivery end of the leer is provided with a swinging door or closure 31 to min- -imize or regulate the entrance of cold an.

The flow of heated air and the heat variations longitudinally of the leer may be controlled within certain limits by varying the longitudinal inclination of the top -of the passageway or the whole passageway through which the ware travels. In order to provide this angular adjustment, the leer is pivotally mounted at one end, preferably the ware receiving end, and means are provided for supporting Vthe other end at anyv desired height. The receiving end of the leer may be supported at a fixed elevation by a pair of legs 34 (Fig. l), pivotallyT connected with the leer by studs 35. while the delivery end of the leer is supported by a pair of legs 36 provided with a series of holes 37 adapted to receive pins 38. The inclination of the leer may be adjusted by removing the pins 38 and raising or lowering the end ofthe leer to the desired extent', after wliich'the pins are inserted in the proper holes. d

The temperature of the leer may be fur'- ther adjusted by permitting a controlled escape ofV air at oneor more points in its length. For this purpose one or more stacks 39 are piovidcd, each extending transversely of the leer and each lhaving a damper 40 by which the extent yof the stack opening may be regulated.

The leer of the present invention may be used without supplying additional heat to the ware therein, provided the ware is placed Ain the leer in suflicient quantity, and with suticient continuity, and while it retains sutlicient heat from its original molten condition, to provide the necessary annealing temperature. For this purpose, the insulation.

indicated at 19 should be sufficient to prevent too great a loss of heat until after the critical annealing temperature has been passed. When the apparatus is thus used as a self-heat leer, in which the annealing heat is supplied by the glassware itself, it may sometimes be desirable to supply additional lieat just prior to or during the insertion of the first lot of ware, in order to bring the leer to working temperature` `and the same heating means may be employed for supplementing the heat of the glassware whenever the latter is not fed in rapidly enough or continuously enough, or with sufiicient heat, as for example when the making of the glassware is interrupted for any reason.

In other words. the operation as a selfheat leer is dependent upon a supply of heat in the glassware` delivered to the leer lll@ sufiicient in degree and in continuity to coinvthe ware. For example, if the leer is being fed by ware produced by two presses, and one of the presses is stopped. then the heat delivered to the leer will be correspondingly reduced. and this may be insuficient to prop floor for trans orting a continuous f said tunnel.

erly annea'l the ware. In such cases, one or more of the burners may be turned on suiciently to compensate for the reduction.

The heating means shown in the drawing comprises two chambers 43 and 44. 'Ihe chamber 43 may be carried by or formed 1ntegral with the adjustable top wall, and

both chambers may be separatedfrom the interior of the leer by plates 45, forming muiiies. Heat is supplied to the chambers by gas pipes 46 having a series of burners 47 projecting into the chambers -43 and 44. Any of the well known forms of burners and controlling means therefor may be provided.

The leer may be of any desired length, and instead of being straight, asherein shown, it may be arranged in a spiral, like a spiral stairway. The downward inclination toward the delivery end is of advantage in making it easier to advance the ware through the tunnel, whether the feed is by hand or automatic.

The preferred construction of the apparatus has Way of example only, and it is to be understood that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from th'e spirit of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

' I claim:

l. A lehr comprising a passageway having a fixed Hoor, means supported by said articles throug said passageway, and means for varying the cross sectional area-of said passageway.

2.-A lehr comprising a ing a fixed flooryuneans mounted for movement adjacentto said floor for transporting a series of articles through said passageway,

and means for varying the cross sectional area of said passageway.

3. A lehr comprising a passageway having a fixed floor, means for heating said fioor, means supported by said floor for transportin a continuousseries of articles t-hrough said passageway, and means for varying the cross sectional area of said' passageway. v

4. A lehr comprising a muflle chamber having a xed floor, means for heating said floor, means or'transportin a..continuous series of articles through sai chamber, and means forA varying the cross sectional area of said chamber.

5. A lehr comprising an elongated muilie chamber or4 tunnel having side walls and a top wall and a fixed floor, one of said walls being adjustable to vary the cross sectional area of said passageway, a heating chamber beneath said'floor, means for su plying a heating medium to lsaid heating chamber to heat said floor, andmeans for trans ortin a continuousA procession of articles t roug been illustrated and described by series of passageway hav- 6. A leer having an adjustable top wall, a heating device carried by the top wall, and means to hold the top wall and heating device in adjusted position.

7. A lehr comprising a passageway having a fixed wall and a movable wall, a heating chamber for extejiorly heating said fixed Wall, means supported by said fixed wall for transporting a continuous procession -of articles through said passageway, and means for adjusting the movable wall toward and away from said fixed wall to vary the cross sectionalarea of said passageway.

8. A leer having a passageway provided with a vertically adjustable top wall, and a closure for the passageway adjustable to coniilpensate for the adjustments of the top wa 9. A leer-comprising a tunnel inclined in the direction'of its length, and means to permit adjustment of the angle of inclination.

10. A leer having a movable top Wall', and means to permit adjustment of the angle of inclination of the top wall to regulate the flow of air toward the higher end.

11. A leer'having top, side and bot-tom members forming a passageway for the Ware, means to permit adjustment of one of said members to vary the cross sectional area of the passageway, and heat insulating material movable with the adjustable member.

l12. A leer having an angularly adjustable top wall and a stack connected therewith.

13. Apparatus for annealin glassware, comprising a heat ret-ainin c amber having an opening for the introuction of ware, and a series of sliding covers for the opening in number less than the number suiii-l cient to close the opening.

14. Apparatus for annealing glassware, comprising a heat retaining chamber having an opening for the introduction of ware, and a sliding cover therefor of less width than the opening adapted to be moved laterally to expose openings alternatelyon opposite sides thereof.

15. Apparatus for annealing glassware, comprising a heat retaining chamber having an opening for the introduction of ware, and a cover therefor mounted for movement transversely of the chamber, said cover havin surfaces at an angle to each other.

6. A leer having relatively movable to and bottom walls and overlapping side wal i connected therewith. f

17. A leer having relatively movable top and bottom members, and telesc'oping side walls connected with said members.

18. A leer having relatively movable top and bottom members, a heating device carried by each of said members, pans movable through the leer, means -to permit introduc- `walls moving the Ware through the tunnel, and

ing ware into the pans between the -ends of the leer, and means to permit adjustment of the angular position of the leer.

19. The method of regulating the heat of a glam annealing leer, which includes the step of changing the inclination of a conducting passage of the leer to control the flow of air therethrough.

20. The method of regulatingthe heat of a glass annealing leer, which includes the step of lowering the delivery end of the leer to increase the influx of air through rthe eer.

21. The method of regulating the heat of a glass annealing leer, which includes the step of lowering one end of the leer to cause the ail1 to rise more rapidly toward the other en 22. A lehr having a.V tunnel, means for moving the ware throughthe tunnel, and means to permit adjustment of the cross sectional area. of the tunnel. 1

23. A lehr comprising side and bottom and a top forming a tunnel, means for means to permit adjustment of one of the tunnel-forming members to vary the cross sectional area of the tunnel.

24. A lehr comprising side and bottom walls and a top forming a tunnel, mean fory moving the ware through the tunnel, and mean to permit vertical adjustment of the top and the bottom of said tunnel relative to each other to vary the height of the tunnel.

'Apparatus for annealing glassware comprising a tunnel, means for transporting articles of glassware therethrough, and

l means disposed intermediate the ends of Said tunnel for withdrawing gases therefrom throughout substantially the entlre 'Width thereof. 

